New Asheville Outlets pet friendly

Pets are so welcome at the new Asheville Outlets that a pet station has been built right into the 325,000 square foot facility designed to house up to 75 brand name outlets.

The pet station will have a large grass area for rest, recreation and – ahem – other activities, plus a water fountain for drinking. There will also be plenty of benches and other places to secure pets while shopping in those stores that don’t welcome pets inside.

An Open Doors, Open Hearts Charity Preview Night will be held on Thursday, April 30. Previewers will enjoy shopping, exclusive savings, entertainment and giveaway prizes. 100% of the $20 ticket prices will be donated to one of the 20 charities the event will support, including both Brother Wolf and Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue organizations. Tickets will not be available at the door, but can be ordered at www.blacktie-america.com. Formal attire will NOT be required for the event, despite the name of the ticket-selling website.

The Grand Opening for Asheville Outlets will be Friday, May 1. At 10am, the ribbon will be cut and shoppers will be able to enter the facility that includes a food court and open-air, covered pedestrian walkways as well as the pet station. The hours for the Outlets, located at the site of the former Biltmore Square mall on Route 191/Brevard Road, will be from 10am to 9pm Mondays through Saturdays, and 12 noon until 6pm on Sundays.

On Saturday and Sunday there will be variety of live entertainment, ranging from the Asheville High School Band to a Looks for Less fashion show hosted by Emmy-winning author and fashion designer Carson Kressley.at 3pm. It is unknown at PetGazette press time whether the show will include pet fashions.

The slogan for the new Asheville Outlets is Real Brands. Unreal Savings. With tenants like Abercrombie and Fitch, Brooks Brothers Factory Store and Cole Haan, to name just three early-alphabet stores, the Outlets are expected to become a destination for shoppers from upstate South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and all of Western North Carolina. For more details, visit www.shopashevilleoutlets.com, or call 828 667-2308.